Cope, N

Folley, D

Thomson, S

Wilkinson, SP

English

Leeds Beckett Repository

ALT JOURNAL NUMBER 6: SUMMER 200914IntroductionIn order to introduce a more authentic,student-centred learning experience for final-yearstudents in the Innovation North Faculty, weredesigned the second semester for all Level 3students to include an integrated team project. Theproject includes modules that cover planning andproduct development as well as course-specificmodules. Our aims were:• to move away from exams to more continuousassessment• to introduce authenticity through ‘live projects’and team work and to introduce moreemployability features into the course• to examine Web 2.0 tools that enable teamprojects to function more effectively for largecohorts of students.The initial concept is shown in Figure 1.Figure 1: Initial integration of modulesIntegration of assessmentThe idea behind the integration was to enablestudents to engage with just one project in the finalsemester of their final year. All elements of theproject could then be synoptically assessed from theone product that they produced. The degree forwhich they were studying had its own specificmodule that served as additional content for theproject, and all the other elements from planning toproduct design to enterprise could be assessed via avariety of methods from reflection and evaluation topresentations at a final-year showcase. In the past,large double modules were used for the project;however, it is more prudent to divide projects up into15-point elements to give students the opportunity toretake elements if they fail one part.Authentic learningWeller (2002) states that the many benefits ofcollaborative working include reflection, activelearning, the development of communication skillsThe benefits and challenges of team projects and howWeb 2.0 tools can helpSteve Wilkinson with Nick Cope, Duncan Folley and Simon Thomson36485_ALT Journal6:Layout 1  3/8/09  12:54  Page 16ALT JOURNAL NUMBER 6: SUMMER 2009 15and deeper understanding. Teams or groups ofstudents working together on a product simulatereal working in the creative technology industry.The term used in the industry is ‘the productionpipeline’, in which a product is produced in stages:an example would be pre-production such asspecification definition, initial concept designs, thenthe main production and post-production stages.Finally, the final product is tested against theoriginal specification. The tutor’s role within teamprojects should be to inspire, guide, encourage andmonitor progress.How can Web 2.0 tools help?Web 2.0 encapsulates the idea of interconnectivityand interactivity of the web. The rise of socialnetworking tools such as Facebook is indicative ofhow such tools can be used: but how can we applythese tools in an educational context?For example, one of the main difficulties for staffdelivering these modules is managing, assessingand tracking each team. Issues for students includehow to keep in touch with each other to ensure thatteam members are each delivering their part of theproduct. Other issues include inspiring the studentsand delivering learning material. The followingsections explain how Web 2.0 tools can helpaddress some of these issues.Collaborative toolsEach team requires areas where it can determineagendas, actions, plans, roles, deadlines and goals.Web 2.0 tools such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace,Wikis and other community discussion areas allowstudents to work collaboratively. Students alreadyuse a variety of synchronous ways ofcommunicating, for example mobile phones, MSNMessenger and Skype.Building a learning communityAt Leeds Met we use X-stream as our VirtualLearning Envionment (VLE): however, no amount ofdiscussion areas, chat rooms and welcome noteswill create a community. Goodyear (2003) points outthat: “Successful online/networked learningcommunities emerge and shape themselves” andKollock (1997) suggests “all you can do is set up anenvironment that is conducive to the emergence ofa community”. One solution is to use Nings (a typeof social networking website) to help providelearning communities: for examplewww.animationclub.ning.com was set up as aninformal area for students to meet and share ideas,and also to receive comment on their work.Blogs and WikisMany of our students have to find part-time work inorder to fund themselves through university, andthere will be times when members of a groupcannot all meet. Therefore a variety ofasynchronous methods for communicating must bemade available, for example discussion boards,blogs and Wikis.Prensky (2001) states that years of computer usecreates students who think differently from theirteachers; they develop ‘hypertext minds’. They leaparound, as though their cognitive structures wereparallel, not sequential. Today’s students may notbe well-suited to the more linear progression oflearning that most educational systems employ.Therefore we need to use ways in which youngpeople collaborate and learn on the web, in otherwords more asynchronous communication.Community videoSites such as YouTube offer a variety of sharedcontent that is a fantastic resource for learning. Theability to search for and find a topic or case study invideo format is very useful. Karine Joly’s (2007)report on Obadiah Greenberg, an expert on the useof YouTube, states: “The truth is, video sharingonline has great educational potential.” Greenberggoes on to say that: “YouTube is one of the mostpopular web sites of all time, you are fitting intoyour students’ existing habits and surrounding,making it easy for them to access your material,and projecting a more updated image for your classor school.” Educause (an organisation dedicated tothe intelligent use of IT in HE), which examined thebenefits of YouTube in an educational environment,commented that:• “Many educators believe that the act of creatingcontent is a valuable learning exercise• It has the potential to expose students to newinsights and skills, as well as link them to variousonline communities36485_ALT Journal6:Layout 1  3/8/09  12:54  Page 17ALT JOURNAL NUMBER 6: SUMMER 200916• This is part of a trend among Net Generationstudents to replace passive learning with activeparticipation• The value lies less in the content itself than in thenetworks of learners that form around contentand support one another in learning goals.”(Educause, 2006)E-portfolios and individual contributionA useful tool for assessing an individual’scontribution to a team is for individuals to build uptheir own e-portfolio that can be reviewed by thetutor both to assess progress and whether goals arebeing met, and for the final assessment. If a studentfor some reason has to leave the group, an e-portfolio can then form his or her individual project.Challenges of team-based learningThere are many challenges to collaborative teamwork; according to Weller (2002), these include:• reluctance and resistance from some studentswho prefer to work individually• groups that do not gel• excessive time spent deciding upon task allocation• how to cope with students who drop out of theactivity or course• when it does not work well, the ‘failure’ of the groupcan become the overriding concern for students.Other problems include assessment as there mustbe some allocation to individual contribution inorder to counteract the negative effect of anunderperforming group upon a hard-workingindividual. Weller (2002) states: “This can beachieved by allocating a portion of the marks to thegroup element, but the majority to the individualcontribution, or requiring reflection upon the groupwork process as the assessed component.”Implementation issuesProblems may arise with allowing groupcommunities to develop themselves; students mayprefer to set up their own collaborative Wikis ratherthan use the University’s WebCT Vista tools becausethey wish to have more ownership of their ownlearning. Other issues could include the policing ofthe use of YouTube, for example:• Will students misuse this resource?• Will there be appropriate and inspiring examples?• Can they upload their work there safely?• Will they be able to give the correct URL for theirtutor to be able to view their work?ResultsExperimenting with this type of delivery for final-year students in Innovation North resulted in asignificant increase in the success rate at this level.Each student had accumulated a portfolio of work,and their employability should be improved by theexperience of working on live projects. The teamprojects also allowed staff more opportunities tomonitor students throughout the semester ratherthan at a final exam, and students moreopportunities to improve work that was not up tothe required standard. Web 2.0 tools facilitated themanagement of a large number of teams and thesetting up of communities. For students, the projectprovided opportunities to work with other studentsfrom outside their courses in a synergistic way, andto play to individual strengths within a team withinthe framework of a supportive but critical network.ConclusionsThis paper shows that there is still much work todo, especially when considering the contribution ofthe individual within team work and how we allowonline communities to develop themselves viatechnology such as Wikis, Nings and YouTube. It isalso apparent that teams of students can be verysupportive and will help each other. This in turnmay free up staff to help weaker students.The experience of allowing students to gainsimulated learning from real projects provided byreal clients is a major step towards providing theright type of assessment, learning and teaching atthis level. The advent of more Web 2.0 tools will helpin the organisation and delivery of this type ofproject. Other benefits are that some teams go on towin regional competitions for their product and somecontinue as real companies. In the current economicclimate real employability skills are essential.36485_ALT Journal6:Layout 1  3/8/09  12:54  Page 18ALT JOURNAL NUMBER 6: SUMMER 2009 17ReferencesEducause Learning Initiative (2006) 7 Things YouShould Know About YouTube (ID: ELI7018). Availableat:http://www.educause.edu/ELI/7ThingsYouShouldKnowAboutYouTu/156821 [Accessed June 2009]Goodyear, P. (2003) Psychological foundations fornetworked learning. In: Steeples, C. and Jones, C.(eds) Networked Learning: Perspectives and Issues.Berlin: Springer Verlag, 49-75.Joly, K. (2007) “YouTube and Higher Ed” from Mr.Higher Ed at YouTube: Obadiah Greenberg. Available at:http://collegewebeditor.com/blog/index.php/archives/2007/11/15/youtube-and-higher-ed-from-mr-higher-ed-at-youtube-obadiah-greenberg/[Accessed June 2009]Kollock, P. (1997) Design principles for onlinecommunities. In: The Internet and Society HarvardConference Proceedings. Cambridge, Mass: O’Reilly& Associates.Prensky, M. (2001) Digital Natives, DigitalImmigrants. On the Horizon 9(5).Weller, M. (2002) Delivering learning on the net: thewhy, what and how of online education. London:Kogan Page.Steve Wilkinson with Nick Cope, Duncan Folley andSimon ThomsonInnovation North36485_ALT Journal6:Layout 1  3/8/09  12:54  Page 19

7 Things You Should Know About YouTube (ID: ELI7018). Available at:

at YouTube: Obadiah Greenberg. Available at: http://collegewebeditor.com/blog/index.php/archive s/2007/11/15/youtube-and-higher-ed-from-mrhigher-ed-at-youtube-obadiah-greenberg/ [Accessed

Delivering learning on the net: the why, what and how of online education. London: Kogan Page. Steve Wilkinson with Nick Cope,

The benefits and challenges of team projects and how Web 2.0 tools can help

The benefits and challenges of team projects and how Web 2.0 tools can help

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Leeds Beckett Repository